Dear Life
by DJ Rocca
Summary: As the Outer Zone begins to heal, DG realizes not all is well with Glitch and his refusal to get help, may end in his downfall. Summary in progress


Dear Life

**Note:** I do not own Tin Man but I adore Steve and Craig for their work in it. I do not own some quotes, music or pop culture references either. I've named Lavender Eyes, Clara in this story in honor of the actress that played Auntie Em in Wizard of Oz. I felt it would fit her.  
**Author Note:** I wanted this to be a short story but alas I can't do short. One of my last stories turned out to be 40+ pages in small font. The rating will slowly increase and I warn when it does become NC17 I'm not refined when I write it. The language will be a bit…hard? I apologize now for it.  
**Rating:** T-R (may be up to NC17)  
**Genre:** Angst/Drama/Romance/Horror  
**Pairing:** DG/Glitch eventual, Lavender Eyes/Ahamo, possibly even Cain/Azkadelia hints.

**Part One**

---After---

_It had been a month since the eclipse, one month since the world of the Outer Zone had been damned to darkness. The changes have begun; slowly the world was becoming what it once was, back in the good days. The 15-year rein of the Wicked Witch masked as Princess Azkadelia was fresh on the minds of those who had lived through the horror but their fear was now being replaced with hope. Azkadelia now spent most of her day's silent, unsure how to seek redemption for her sins as the Witch. She had always been a good girl, a brave and true big sister as her mother taught her to be. Though she had tried to protect her little sister, she was cursed in darkness for the younger girl's sins. For years she felt like she was dying, damning her own soul, reliving taking her little Sister's life, as the Witch used her magic to destroy the world in which she lived. She had not the slightest clue her Sister still lived, had she, maybe she could have fought off the Witch, but after losing DG that night, she gave up hope. When she did find that her beloved sister still lived, she grew hopeful again and began to fight but the Witch was strong and she was resourceful. But she was gone now, melted, never to return and as the eclipse past and Azkadelia felt her DG's hand in hers, she knew this was the start of her life now._

_The others were trying to cope as well, after they had all been released, the last of the Seers, gathered with Raw and began to move out, back the woods where they used to call home. Though the lands were scarred by fires, decaying and dead, using their combined powers, DG and Azkadelia gave it life once more. Wyatt Cain and his son Jeb headed back to Central City where Cain's position as Tin Man was reinstated. Glitch remained at the palace with DG and the Royal Family, even though he had access to his brain, he decided against re-transplanting it back into his head. He was happier now as Glitch and was still able to help the Royal family in planning on how to reverse much of the damage that was done by the Wicked Witch. They had taken apart the machine, arrested the Long Coats for their corruption and the Sisters began to heal the lands, restoring them to their former glory. But there would still be much to do._

**---Now---**

DG awoke as the suns shone brilliantly into her room, her clear blue eyes turned to the window as she heard birds singing. Smiling, she heaved a happy sigh, she finally felt home. She heard a knock on her door and the doorknob jiggled three times before it finally opened to reveal Glitch. His smile consumed his face and her smile grew in return.

"Morning DG," he burbled brightly, effortless making it over to her bedside.

"Good morning, Glitch," she replied, sitting up, the covers falling to reveal her silk nightgown.

"How are you this morning? How are you this morning? Morning?" With a shake Glitch shook off the current repetition and continued to smile. DG had grown accustom to the glitches he had, sometimes it was repeating words or phrases and lately it had evolved into twitches. Though they did start out as little things like the doorknob or the repetition of motions, she swore she had seen him fallen though he claimed he tripped…which he did often when he got extremely busy and needed to finish a project in a hurry.

"I'm fine, are you alright?" she asked, he nodded vigorously and offered her a hand to help her climb out of her king sized bed as he had done every morning since they all began to live there again.

"Of course! Oh! I don't know if your mother has told you but they are planning to have a ball in honor of the return of both daughters, a celebration for the Outer Zone to rejoice in our time of peace," DG smiled, her mother would do something like that and for once she looked forward to the event.

"I can't wait…just think of it! Dancing again, I love to dance, I'm very light on my feet you know," he looked over to DG who was giggling as she walked towards her bathroom. "What? I am…I am! I am! Ask Cain! He's coming back, back, back, back" a long shudder ran through his body. "Tonight!"

DG frowned as she closed the doors, she knew Glitch would wait until she came out and she could hear him walking about in her room, humming a happy tune. She was worried, the glitches were coming more often before. She wondered if he had been injured but she hadn't been there to see how he, Cain and Raw had gotten in and how they shut down the machine. She would ask Cain tonight, then she heard a thud and she raced out of her bathroom. Granted she was barely clothed but she had to make sure he was ok, and she silently willed that he had just tripped. _Please be ok, please be ok_ she prayed as she found Glitch lying on her floor, body rigid.

"GLITCH!" she shouted, she fell to her knees immediately and reached to touch his neck, feeling for a pulse. She felt it; it was strong, normal, his skin warm to her fingers. She inhaled slowly and began to feel her magic flow through her, coursing through her veins with each heartbeat. _Wake up, open your eyes Glitch_, she willed. As she continued to concentrate she saw his eyelids twitch and slowly they fluttered open.

"It's no use screaming at a time like this." He told her as he sat up, DG stared at him and his brows began to knit together.

"Glitch, you just collapsed, are you alright?" she asked.

"Of course I am, but why are you in your underclothes, did I miss something fun?" he asked, DG snorted and glanced down at her modest bra and underwear, shrugged to him and helped him to his feet.

"DG? I heard you shouting, are you alright my…" Came the voice of the Lavender eyed Queen, Clara. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw her daughter holding onto her advisors arm, clad only in her underwear. "DG! That is improper! You should be thankful it was just me who came in, go put something on! Ambrose, explain to me what happened," she instructed, Glitch winced at his former name and watched DG go.

"I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry" he shuddered, "Your Majesty, I fell and DG came to check on me, that is all that happened. And If you please, I mean no disrespect, but it is Glitch now," he gently corrected her. The Queen's Lavender eyes focused on him, knowing he spoke the truth and pitied the gentle, glitched man.

"I'm sorry, I will try to respect your wishes but it is a hard habit to break, my old friend," she spoke softly; he was only 20 when he had become her advisor. He was brilliant but shy, devoted but withdrawn, nimble yet clumsy. Many of those traits still remained, in her eyes, he would always be Ambrose. "Come Am…Glitch, we'll leave DG to ready herself and you and I will meet with the counsel."

"Yes, your Highness." He bowed and waved Clara through the door. "See you later DG!" he called to her, and as no eyes watched him, he began to stroke the zipper, assuring its closure. _I'm ok, I'm ok, I'm ok, I'm ok…_Glitch repeated this mantra as he quickly hurried after the Queen.

**---Later---**

The meetings were over and night had fallen. Glitch was sitting outside, staring up at the sky. DG watched him from her balcony; he seemed so at peace, so happy.

"Hey kid, I'm headin' out," she heard the voice of Wyatt Cain through her door, she called him in and he entered.

"Hey Cain, before you go, I need to ask you something." She told him, he crossed the room to join her, and he looked down to see Glitch below and smiled at her. He had sensed the deep bond between them, though they hadn't remembered meeting one another in the first place.

"What's up?" he asked, he lowered his voice as he saw the concern etched in her usually vacant face.

"What happened to Glitch while I was facing Az?" Cain sighed, he stared down at his friend, though time was passing, he couldn't get the fear from his mind when he could not get Glitch to waken immediately, and his deep confusion upon waking.

"We found his brain, when Raw connected him to it, he would not answer to Glitch, he asked to be addressed by Ambrose. We got caught and he got a tazer shoved into his chest. He had a hard time waking and I've got to admit, Deeg, I've never seen him that confused before." DG frowned and Cain immediately touched her shoulder and they continued to stare down at their forgetful friend, the zipper adorning his head reflecting the light from the moons.

"I was afraid of that…" the girl murmured and looked up to the man who had taken a paternal role for her in the absence of knowing her own father, well at least her biological one. "Could you please keep an eye on him? I'm worried…" this time Cain pulled her into a hug.

"Of course, he's my friend too, I don't want to see anything happening to him." Cain promised and giving her a tiny squeeze he released her and headed for the door. DG didn't turn her head to watch him go, she refused to look away from Glitch, in fears that if she did, when she looked back, he'd be unconscious again or worse.

From below, Glitch felt eyes on him; he had since he had sat down. He didn't mind though, he was used to people staring at his zipper. He felt an odd sense of completion being back in the castle with the Royal Family, and knowing where his brain was. Though he missed his old life, he enjoyed being Glitch more, but one thing would stay the same no matter which identity he was. He loved to watch the stars, in his eyes; only one other thing in the world matched their beauty. That was DG; the Princess he thought was lost long ago. He had mourned for her, only to meet her again, both without memory of knowing each other. Things were still foggy for both of them so he didn't feel so bad. He looked up, finally curious as the eyes stayed and refused to move. Peering up towards the castle, he saw DG watching him. She was wearing the same nightgown she had that morning. Her face was blank as usual; he had never met a girl who didn't express emotions easily. Then he remembered that she was technically a reanimated corpse and figured that was probably why. He smiled up at her and waved, she smiled back and inclined her head.

"Hey Glitch! Go to bed!" Cain called as he headed past him, heading for his home nearby. Glitch just shook his head and remembered how late it was. He still had much work to do the next day, and on top of his own work, he was now responsible for making sure the Princesses could dance for the ball.

"Good night Cain!" he called, and then added "SWEETHEART!" then the sounds of Cain laughing could be heard throughout the night. From above DG shook her head, there were some things she just wasn't going to ask about.

Glitch climbed to his feet and headed inside, making his way up to his room, but he had one more thing to do before he slept. Making his way to DG' room, he gently knocked, not surprised when she answered immediately.

"Are you ok?" she blurted out at once, he laughed softly.

"I'm fine, I just wanted to say good night…Princess," he smiled and she smiled back.

"Good night Glitch, see you in the morning," she replied, he bowed to her and then headed off while he still remembered where his room was. DG watched him disappear and sighed. She just wanted him to be ok, but she couldn't fight the feeling of dread that rose within her.

----  
Dear Life is a working title because I still have no idea what to call it! Dear Life is a song by Chris Volz that reminds me a lot of DG/Glitch.


End file.
